THE CONCEPT OF REVENGE AS THE INTERACTION OF PROPOSITION-FRAME-SCRIPT STRUCTURES

Abstract

The article examines the representation of the concept REVENGE (the central element of the eternal plot of vengeance) in the form of a proposition, a frame, and a script, by analogy with the philosophical categories of “universal – particular – individual.” The study’s scientific value lies in its interdisciplinary approach, bridging cognitive linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive literary studies within the anthropocentric theory of language. Studying the mutual reversibility of proposition-frame-scenario justifies the practical significance.

The aim is to explore the cognitive basis of recurring revenge plots by framing the event-concept REVENGE through three interrelated cognitive schemas within the dialectical unity of the individual, the particular, and the universal. Methods: conceptual, conceptual-definitional analysis, comparative, lexical-semantic analysis.

Thus, the propositional representation of REVENGE denotes the abstract concept, the frame outlines typical features, and the script presents a step-by-step enactment in a specific literary context. The obligatory and optional features of the concept REVENGE were identified. The proposition REVENGE is represented as Avenger – revenges – the offender – for the harm, where avenger is the agent, offender the patient, revenges the predicate, and for the harm the causal circumstantial element. The frame REVENGE is derived from revenge-driven works of world literature, while the script is examined through Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown. The concept REVENGE undergoes transformation from proposition to frame, and from frame to script. However, the configuration of its attributes does not alter the core of the concept. New spatiotemporal conditions allow the revenge plot to acquire new characteristics while retaining its fundamental features.

The study corroborates the cognitive linguistic view that frames, scripts, and propositions are reversible, structured concepts of the same type within literary texts. This underlines its importance for cognitive literary studies and related disciplines. Practical usage of the study: its results may be utilized for further research in the given areas.